Slan
"Whore Princess of the Uterine Sea" | first = "Guardians of Desire (4)" | traits = 216+ years old, succubus-esque appearance | allies = Idea of Evil :God Hand }} }} Slan is a member of the God Hand, and in particular the only female member of the group. Personality Slan is a sadomasochist who thrives on cruelty and the effect it has on others, having influenced the foundation of pagan cults who know her as the Goddess of Flames and revere her through cannibalistic blood orgies and drugs that open a person's mind to visions of the future. She personifies lust and the evils associated with it, having once called the events of Casca's rape by a transcended Griffith a thing of beauty. Her ideals are twisted to the point that even a grievous injury to herself, which fails to kill her due to her existence as an astral being, merely sexually arouses her. Slan also appears to have a lustful fascination with Guts since first meeting him during Griffith's Eclipse, referring to him as "darling" and expressing interest in his resilience and fortitude, while finding his inner darkness to be most appealing. She notably brings up Guts' intent of killing Griffith, suggesting that he should use the beherit in his possession to do so. History Background Much like her fellow senior God Hand members, Slan's past life as a human is unknown. However, unlike her fellow members, Slan has actively influenced humanity through the cult of the Goddess of Flame, who hold cannibalistic pagan blood orgies in her honor. Golden Age Arc }} Slan and the other members of the God Hand first make themselves known to Griffith during his imprisonment in the Tower of Rebirth, greeting him as their kinsman and foretelling his forthcoming audience with them. Once the guest of honor and his sacrifices appear before them during the Eclipse, Slan is the first of the God Hand to materialize. Using an area of land in the Interstice as a temporary vessel, she manifests a gigantic form of herself. After Griffith reaffirms his ambition and sacrifices the Band of the Hawk, Slan expresses an interest in Guts' vain attempt to save Griffith, and later sheds a tear while watching her newly reborn kinsman Femto sexually violate Casca, calling it and Guts' violent reaction a thing of beauty. When the Skull Knight intervenes and spirits Guts and Casca back to Physical World, Slan is left surprised and admits that the God Hand cannot foresee every possibility. Despite the turn of events, she and her kinsman are left unfazed, and welcome the coming of the Age of Darkness following the birth of the fifth. Black Swordsman Arc }} Two years after the Eclipse, Slan and the rest of the God Hand are summoned by the Count, who having been fatally wounded by Guts requests new life. While standing by, she watches in awe as Guts fights through his multiple injuries towards Femto, expressing her excitement at the idea of him joining her ranks. When the Count offers the swordsman as a sacrifice, Slan explains to him that only something precious to him will suffice. Conviction Arc As part of preparations for the Incarnation Ceremony at Albion, Slan sends one of her cults to the city among the refugees. Her followers worship her as the "Goddess of Flame" and act in her name when holding blood orgies outside the city, during which they make converts out of the disillusioned. She later makes her presence known to Guts during the Incarnation Ceremony, when she and the rest of the senior God Hand members manifest rudimentary forms from the restless spirits running amok throughout Albion. Falcon of the Millennium Empire Arc In the domain of Qliphoth, Slan manifests through the intestines of slain trolls to personally reunite with the Black Swordsman. During their confrontation, she restrains Guts and slashes open a gash across his chest, both physically and ethereally wounding the swordsman. She then proceeds to tempt him into activating the beherit in his possession and becoming an apostle, suffocating him between her legs in doing so. The Skull Knight intervenes, and as a result, Guts is able to free himself from her hold with his cannon arm and pierce the angel with his malice-tempered Dragon Slayer. Slan responds by kissing Guts – an act of joy and self-contentment – before dematerializing. Abilities Like the other God Hand members, Slan can see the design of causality, but only to an extent that borders omniscience. She and the rest of the senior God Hand manifest rudimentary bodies from the surrounding environment; she manifests through the land on the field during Griffith's Eclipse, and uses restless spirits to materialize in Albion. She is last seen displaying this ability when confronting Guts in Qliphoth, where she uses troll intestines to create a rudimentary vessel to act through. Even in this incomplete form, she is significantly stronger than humans and apostles alike, able to shred Guts' armor off of his body with one swipe while overpowering him physically. Slan and the rest of the God Hand manifest fully during the Blast of the Astral World, gaining a full-time physical presence, and thus do not have need of environmental corporealization henceforth. Notes * Her name is a reference to A. E. van Vogt's . * In the PlayStation 2 game Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc: Chapter of the Holy Demon War, Slan's nudity is slightly censored. In Berserk and the Band of the Hawk, she is heavily censored: Slan is not shown ripping off Guts' breastplate and her body is entirely covered in tentacles. * Aside from Femto, Slan is the only God Hand member to come into contact with Guts following the events of the Conviction Arc. References Appendices es:Slan Category:Female Characters Category:God Hand Category:Living Characters Category:Supernatural Characters Category:Black Swordsman Characters Category:Golden Age Characters Category:Conviction Characters Category:Falcon of the Millennium Empire Characters